Tennessee governor uses veto for only third time, on a bill that weakened punishment for polluters

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam vetoed a bill Thursday that its sponsor said was aimed at preventing "flash mobs" in Tennessee and increasing the penalty for polluting retail products.

But the governor said a legal review found the bill had the unintended consequence of reducing criminal penalties for some types of polluting in Tennessee, including illegal dumping in rural areas.

Senate Bill 2178/House Bill 2029 is only the third bill Haslam has vetoed through the four sessions of the state legislature of his tenure. Two of them, including the one Thursday, were sponsored by Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden.

As originally filed, the bill purportedly defined and penalized vandalism in a retail setting. It was amended to target the organizers of "flash mobs" that vandalize property. Flash mobs are seemingly spontaneous gatherings of people, mostly for entertainment but occasionally for protest.

When he presented the bill on the House floor on April 16, Holt said it also defines polluting a product for sale in a retail setting as aggravated vandalism.

But the governor's veto message said the bill had unintended consequences of making vandalism in the form of pollution punishable only as a misdemeanor.

"The vast majority of Tennessee is rural farm land, and farm property can occasionally be used illegally by non-property owners as dumping grounds for garbage. The vandalism statute in the Tennessee Code is used to police that act, and the amended version of (the bill) would reduce unintentionally the penalty on polluters in Tennessee."